A New Enemy
by Jeanne152
Summary: Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano are sent with two other Jedi to retake the planet of Felucia. The planet has been ruled by bounty hunters, but unbeknownst to them, a Sith is involved. (#1 of The Winning Team Series)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: All of you might notice that I changed Master Kayla Amber's name (she's a yellow Twi' Lek Master with Dan Yates as her Padawan) to Lyn Tarkona. I did some research and realized that her previous name was not a traditional Twi' Lek name, so I changed it to keep true to the culture of the Twi' Lek people. If there are any disagreement regarding this change, please write it in the reviews. Thank you.**

THIRD PERSON P.O.V.

The ship entered an inevitable spin towards the ground from above the skies of Felucia. With one of its two engines burning, the ship was losing altitude rapidly. As if there weren't enough problems, the enemy ship that fired the crippling shot was still in close pursuit, eager to finish off its prey. The pilots of the damaged ship, Jedi Padawans Ahsoka Tano and Dan Yates tried their best to control the ship. Ahsoka panicked. Whatever she did, it didn't seem to change the out-of-control spin. Her companion, fellow Padawan Dan Yates, shouted at her, "I thought you said you were a great pilot!"

Ahsoka didn't like that tone of voice. Besides, Dan is significantly younger than she is. Shouldn't he respect her? "I didn't say that explicitly, Yates!" She screamed her words so they could be heard amidst the roar of the engines. "Now focus on NOT getting us killed!"

Dan didn't reply. If he did, it would be too discreet for Ahsoka to hear. The human bit his lips, as if he was thinking very hard. The ship continued descending towards the ground at a dangerous angle. Dan pulled the control stick backwards as hard as he can. There was no response. Dan turned to Ahsoka, "It's no use! The ship is too damaged for any kriffing control system to work!"

Ahsoka glared at him, "Dan! Don't use that kind of language! If your master is here to hear what you just said-"

"She would've ignored it and focused on getting us to safety," he interrupted. Dan paid attention to the continuingly dropping altitude. It wouldn't be long until they crash. This is the one thing he hated; being stuck in a very bad situation with someone he didn't know about. There were more things likely to get wrong, since there was little understanding between them. Dan knew that the only way out is to abandon the ship. It was the easy part. The hard part is to make sure that the disintegrating ship wouldn't crash on top of them. The only way is tough, but he's the man for the job, not Ahsoka.

Dan grabbed the parachute and brought it, dragging Ahsoka along behind him. "Hey!" The Togruta screamed. She obviously didn't like being dragged along as if she was a little girl. Dan didn't let her go until they got to the escape hatch. He handed the parachute over to Ahsoka and shouted, "Go ahead, jump down!" He opened the hatch and revealed a huge, sickening space between the ship and the ground. Once Ahsoka had put on the chute, Dan went behind her and pushed her out of the hatch, dropping through the sky below. The Togruta screamed in shock. Her ear-piercing shriek made Dan flinch.

The recently-promoted Jedi returned to the ship's pilot seat. He desperately tried to divert the ship's course from heading on the same way as Ahsoka. He jerked the controls as hard as he can, nearly reaching their breaking point. Not far behind, Dan could feel the enemy closing in, not willing to let his prey walk away. Dan knew that there's a very small chance of him surviving this encounter. Then, he saw the shots aimed at his engine. He's merely moments from exploding to bits. The last two things he found out before the impact were the fact that Ahsoka has already landed safely, and that the hunter is a strong Force user.

AHSOKA'S P.O.V.

I stared in horror as the enemy ship followed Dan throughout the atmosphere. I couldn't believe that he was still in there, steering the ship away from me so I wouldn't be in harm's way. I knew that the controls are already useless by now, and Dan would just be a sitting duck in a shooting gallery.

Within moments, I landed on the ground, safe and sound. I found a shelter and proceeded to watch Dan's struggle against certain doom. Finally, it happened. The enemy fired its last shot at the only functional engine. The strain was too much, and WHAM! The ship exploded into pieces. "NO!" I couldn't bear the thought that someone sacrificed their lives to save mine. It would've been more believable if it was Master Skywalker who saved me. But Dan was simply, more or less, an acquaintance. I've known him for only a few days.

That day, my master and I went inside the Council Room to meet, of course, the whole Council, speaking with a Jedi Master and her Padawan. I looked at this pair closely. The female Twi'lek was wearing a brown robe, similar to my master's. Her clothes aroused my curiosity. Those are supposed to be a male Master's clothes, not a female's. The Jedi Master stared at me in the same curiosity that my eyes gaze with, and said respectfully, "Is this Padawan Tano?"

Grand Master Yoda nodded to her, "Indeed, she is."

Master Windu stared at us all with his usual judging view. Without really paying attention, I sensed just a little spark of hatred in the Twi 'lek Master's eyes. Windu stood up and said, "Master Skywalker, Padawan Tano, meet Master Lyn Tarkona and Padawan Yates."

All four of us nodded respectfully at one another, with me smiling at the supposedly Yates. However, he didn't reply my smile with another, and only gave a nod. His eyes were… cold. It held no feeling whatsoever. I shuddered. His master, Lyn, asked the Council, "Masters, what does this briefing concern?"

Yoda answered without any hesitation, "Go on a mission, all four of you will. Separated into teams, you must be. Not the usual Padawan-Master team, however, it must be. Padawan Tano, go ahead with Padawan Yates, you will, as a distraction for possible enemies. To Felucia, you must go."

Anakin was definitely surprised at Yoda's request when he inquired, "What do you suppose we do next?"

This time, it was Master Plo who spoke up. He was the one who brought me to the Temple, and I am, indeed, very grateful to him. "Skywalker, you and Lyn shall follow from behind. Your mission needs to be as stealthy as possible. While the Padawans are distracting the enemy fighters from their base, you need to need to go in and plant charges in strategic locations to explode the whole area."

Lyn nodded, and despite sensing his strong disagreement, I saw my master nod as well. He said, "As the Council wishes. But may I ask who we are up against?"

Yoda answered with his usual backwards talk, "Fight against the bounty hunters, you will. Captured, the planet has been. Anyone, they will let pass, as long as well paid, the price is. To recapture it, it is our important duty."

The yellow Twi 'lek Master bit her lips. I could feel her doubts on this mission, and her reluctance to let her Padawan go alone. But I could also feel her great faith on his skills. I looked back at Yates. He was neither looking at anyone nor showing any signs of anxiousness. Instead, he was listening intently with his eyes fixed to the ground. I could sort out my master's confusion and anxiousness, as well as Master Tarkona's trust and unwillingness, but I could make out nothing of him. Did his heart truly have no feeling, like his eyes?

The Padawan seemed to have taken notice of my observations, and shot a sharp glare at me. I didn't back down. He knew that I would never give up, so he looked up at his master. Lyn looked back at him, and asked the Council, "When will this mission start?"

Yoda answered, "Few more days, it will be. Patient, you must be, Master Tarkona. Be very careful, all of you must be. Very dangerous, this mission might be. For the worst case scenario, you have to prepare yourselves. If not, dire, the consequences might be."

Hours after that briefing, both of our masters agreed that we need to spend some time knowing each other if we are going to go together on such a dangerous mission. Hell, we might never come back alive or in one piece! They suggested that we should be put in one of our quarters for a full hour, so we might form a closer bond with each other.

When we were stuck in that room, the feeling was very awkward. I tried to start a conversation by greeting, "Hello, Dan."

Yates simply stared at me and replied, "Greetings." Damn it, he's making this very hard.

"Have I ever met you before?" I mentally kicked myself for asking such a foolish question.

Yates changed his normal sitting position to a cross-legged one. He answered formally, "Both of us are raised in the Temple. It is very likely for us to run into each other." Yates closed his eyes, as if trying hard to remember something. He whispered, "But I don't seem to have met you yet."

I sighed. This is going to be a very long hour. "That's true. Yates, could you please drop down the formal-like tone? It's kind of getting into my nerves…" I trailed off, for his eyes shot open in an instant. He stared, narrowing his eyes at me with a slight anger. Guilt-ridden, I looked elsewhere, anywhere but him.

Yates walked up to the door in a hasty-kind of manner. He opened it and to my surprise, revealed a distracted-looking face of my master, just running up to the door. I got up and asked, "Is something wrong, master?"

Anakin quickly pulled Dan and I out of the room while half-shouting, "Yes, there is! There is a change of plan!" _I don't like where this is going._ "We'll have to go NOW!"


	2. Chapter 2

YATES' P.O.V.

I stirred, trying to wake up. But my whole body was aching horribly, as if I was hit by a cruiser. I opened my eyes, and noticed that I was on the grass. There were burning debris all around me, and the air felt so… warm. It was a bit too warm to suit me. I looked around and noticed that there was a ship not far from my position. The more I looked at it, the more I recognize it. Just then, a flash of memory hit my mind. It was the enemy ship that shot my ship down!

I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the searing hot pain on my chest and sides. My legs seemed to have escaped unscathed. _There's still a little bit of luck in me._ I grinned with pain. I motioned as silently as I could towards nearby wreckage. _It might be big enough to hide me._ I hid under it, and then, keeping alert for any sign of the enemy, I started inspecting my injuries. _Hmm… My ribs are possibly cracked, but not broken, and a small metal rod was sticking into my side._ It's bad enough to slow me down. I pulled out the rod with force. I knew that it would hurt a lot, but I didn't think it would be this much. I shouted in pain. At least I'm free of that metal, but now I'm bleeding continuously. _Well, at least I wouldn't die of starvation. I wonder if dying of blood loss is any better._

Suddenly, there was a rustle from the grass outside the wreckage. I sprang to a dark corner so abruptly that it hurt me. I stopped, unable to continue my movement. I grabbed my lightsaber and hoped that my opponent doesn't see me. Otherwise, I would very likely be dead.

The covering metals were pushed aside. Someone was trying to get in! I ignited my lightsaber, only to use it to greet… "Ahsoka!" I exclaimed. I was rather glad that it was her, instead of the enemy. I deactivated my weapon and let it fall beside me. My body slumped like a dropped bag into the soft grass. Only then did I realize of how weak I really am. The bleeding wounds seemed to have seeped the strength out of me.

Ahsoka found me, and she knelt beside me, saying, "Yates! What the hell happened?"

She was worried. I knew it from her voice. I grinned, forcing myself so she wouldn't be too worried anymore. "Well, well, well. Who's using a language now?" I joked. I laughed, or rather tried to. I was cut off by a coughing fit. I wiped some warm liquid that came from my mouth with my left hand. I looked down at it. It was blood.

"It's no time for jokes, Yates," she whispered. Ahsoka laid my back onto the wreckage so I was in a sitting position. She grabbed the med kit which she acquired and opened it. The bandage which she found was quickly wrapped around me. We both knew that I wouldn't last without proper medical treatment, but there's none around us. And our Masters would only come once we signal them to. _Oh, Force, why didn't I think of that?_

"Ahsoka…" My voice sounded hoarse and too… weak. But I had to say this. "Have… you try… contacting… our Masters?" I coughed again once the last word was said. Again, blood came out from my mouth. My chest hurt like hell as if it was being twisted from the inside.

Ahsoka stared at me with her bright eyes. She shook her head and picked up her comlink. She pressed it. But before she has said anything, I heard only static in the other end of the line. The signal was being jammed.

"It was jammed," I whispered, my head hung low in gloom. Ahsoka turned to me, only confirming my suspicions. She forced me to look up at her right in the eyes. "Hey," she said, "we'll get through this together."

I smiled a bit, "I'm not afraid of dying, Ahsoka. I…" I heard something abruptly. And felt it, too. Someone was walking towards us. Its presence felt cold and dark, as if there were no hope left in that person. It was the dark side of the Force. "Do you feel it, Ahsoka?"

Ahsoka became silent, obviously feeling what I had. "Yes. Be quiet."

I tried to get up, but she pushed me backwards and shook her head. I obliged, not wishing to have a fight with her. She took her lightsabers and peeked outside. Without warning her of my actions, I peeked outside from another opening, just a few feet away from her. Luckily, she didn't notice me.

There was a figure outside with a cloak. There was a black mask on his face. I assumed it's a man from his posture. He has a red double-bladed lightsaber in one hand, and a long-range sniper rifle slung across his back. I was, no doubt, very surprised to see such weapons used by a Sith. The one thing that worries me about him is that the Force was so strong in him. I was disturbed by his mere presence. Maybe the only person who is stronger in the Force than that guy is the great Yoda himself. Of course, I've heard rumors that Ahsoka's master, Anakin Skywalker, was even stronger than Yoda, and was said to be "the Chosen One". I've never confirmed this, though. But I wouldn't be surprised if it was proved to be true.

The man walked around the wreckage, inspecting it. He stops right in front of Ahsoka's hideout spot. I grabbed for my lightsaber, ready to fight him. I tensed, waiting for any possible movement. With the Force, the man pulled away the wreckage concealing Ahsoka and said, "Greetings, Padawan!"

Ahsoka leapt at him, both lightsabers in hand. The man blocked her strikes with his lightsaber effortlessly and laughed. His laugh was cruel and wicked, which was further intensified by his mask. It felt as if the man was using a life support or something to breathe with, instead of his usual lungs.

With a gesture of his hand, he Force-pushed Ahsoka away from him and sent her flying into the wreckage. She shouted in pain after her back struck the metal base in the impact. The man lifted his lightsaber, ready to deal the killing blow. I, however, was not ready to let my newly-met friend die yet.

I leapt in front of him and blocked the strike. The pain from those maneuvers was overwhelming, and I groaned. Ahsoka heard me and looking up saw me shuddering from my injuries, restrained by the effort to block the attack. She called out, "Yates, don't!"

The masked man laughed again, this time crueler than ever. He moved out his hand. _Here it comes._ I prepared myself to be flown into nearby wreckage and have my back broken as a result. But this was not what happened.

I was lifted in the air and he Force-choked me. I dropped my lightsaber in surprise. The sudden lack of air made me weaker than ever. I was unable to struggle. My hands fell limp at my sides, and I can only stare at the masked man as my cloudy visions grew darker. Ahsoka stood to her feet and screamed in anger while attacking him. He was distracted and forced to let me go, dropping me into the ground. The fall hit me in the side, and I winced. I knew that Ahsoka might need help, so I quickly Force-grabbed my lightsaber and ignited it, the blue blade humming in defiance of the enemy.

Ahsoka and the man were striking and parrying each other, alternating as the fight went on. I remained a silent bystander, ready to give Ahsoka any help once the enemy started overpowering her. The man seemed to have grinned; I felt his pleasure rippling in waves through the Force. I also felt something else erupting from him; hatred, anger, loss, loyalty, betrayal, all of them came and mixed, overwhelming me with their intense feelings. I quickly shielded myself from everything, not wanting to get distracted.

Just then, Ahsoka managed to Force-pushed the masked man away, and like her before, he was sent flying into the wreckage. Despite his ability to reduce the force of the impact, I still felt satisfaction when he was attacked the same way he attacked Ahsoka before. _Now that's justice._

Infuriated by our refusal to give up, the masked man stood up and shot a wave of Force lightning at Ahsoka. I have sensed it before they arrived, and jumped in front of Ahsoka to protect her. I put out my hands in an effort to absorb the current, just like what Yoda did when I saw a holorecording of him fighting Count Dooku. I didn't expect it to work, but it did. The lightning didn't hurt me at all. Instead, it became one with me and restored my much-needed strength. I didn't know how to do it, but I just did it.

The masked man was shocked to see this and stopped his attacks. I let my hands went slack and grabbed the lightsaber. The man sneered, "Finally, a challenge. A pity you didn't reveal your true powers sooner."

Ahsoka stood beside me, her lightsabers in hand. I took a quick glimpse at my side, and noticed that my tunic was already soaked by the blood coming out from it. Ahsoka felt my worries, and whispered to me through the Force, "I'll handle this." _Funny, how did she do that? Only a Master and the respective Padawan can talk to each other._

I whispered back, "No way. Like you said, we'll get through this together."

I saw her smile at me. Together, we charged at the masked man. He was surprised but managed to block both our attacks. Our two lightsabers blocked the man's double-bladed one, but Ahsoka still has her shoto. She grabbed it and attempted to plunge it into the enemy's chest. He noticed this and back-flipped away.

He stood there, getting ready to attack us. He tried to Force-push us away, but we managed to Force-block it. Seemingly frustrated by our combined strength, he shot a Force lightning once again. This time, I wasn't quick enough to prepare myself, and the electric charge stung me hard. I shouted, and then, everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

AHSOKA'S P.O.V.

"Dan!" I could only glimpse for a split-second at him before the Sith attacked me. He was definitely hit by the lightning and was unconscious. _Damn it, Yates. This isn't the time for a nap. Wake up!_ I know I sounded cruel when I whispered those words at him through the Force, but fighting a powerful Sith with my friend taken out was pretty nerve-wracking. I glared at the Sith. He chuckled and said, "Now that your friend is out of the game, this will be a walk in the park."

I tried to ignore his mocks, but somehow, I got angrier. _Fine for me, if this is the way you want to go._ I threw my shoto at him in a spinning motion like the blade of a helicopter. He definitely wasn't prepared for it, and barely ducked in time but lost his footing, the shoto flying an inch away from his head. I Force-summoned the blade and attacked the Sith. This time, he was too busy adjusting his balance. I stabbed him in the shoulder and he cried. His cry was deep, dark, and full of hurt. It kind of made me feel bad for him.

However, he was still the enemy. I lifted rather large debris and smashed it right in his face. It did the trick and he was out like a light. I turned to Yates, who was still lying on the ground. I shook his shoulders and whispered, "Yates, are you alright?"

He stirred and kind of moaned in annoyance. He opened his eyes and looked up at me. They still have that icy coldness in them. I sighed in relief. The same old Yates is back, still without a feeling. He whispered, "What happened?"

I chuckled and helped him up. I could feel the pain of his wounds through the Force. I was surprised that he could disguise it and only left a smirk as a trace of his anguish. I smiled, "Oops... Sorry. I forgot that you're-"

He cut me off by retorting, "I'm just fine, Ahsoka. Let's get to the enemy ship. Maybe we can send out a distress signal and find out who that guy is." He pointed to the unconscious man. He shrugged and stared at me, wanting explanation. I just rolled my eyes, "A whack in the head certainly did him some good."

He smiled. When we arrived at the ship, we discovered that it's left with no information to use. The enemy must've memorized all of the plans in his head. I spoke up, "No data whatsoever. He must've memorized everything before he got here."

Dan sat on the pilot's chair. He bit his lips, and remarked, "Or, he might be saving every bytes of data in that mask of his. It might not be a mask at all, you know?"

I immediately saw the new point of view, and admitted that it was indeed more probable than the first. I nodded, "Just like a clone helmet."

"Yeah, just like a clone…" He trailed off. I diverted my attention to the ship's communicator. I opened the channel to Anakin's. After a second, it sparked to live and I heard, "Skywalker here." That voice felt familiar and it calmed my nerves a bit, now. I replied, "Master, this is Ahsoka. We've been ambushed and shot down."

From the background of the transmission, I could hear Master Tarkona's question to Anakin, "What about the mission? What's their status?"

Anakin mumbled, "I don't know yet." Then, he added, "What's your status, Ahsoka?"

I glanced at Dan. He was tinkering with the ship's control panel. From his face, I knew that he was oblivious to everything around us, except the enemy, perhaps. I said in a low tone at the communicator, "I'm alive and fighting, master. But Dan needs medical help. And the attacker might be a Sith Lord?"

I heard a rustle in the background, and then, Master Tarkona's voice came to the foreground. "What?" She was clearly worried. Anakin interfered, "Snips, is it Dooku? Grievous?"

I shook my head. And since they weren't able to see me, I answered as well, "No. I don't know who he is, but he is a lot younger than Dooku. He, I am assuming it's a male, is wearing a black mask. We suspected that it's a helmet containing intelligence data. He's also using a black cloak."

Dan suddenly appeared behind me and continued my explanation, "And he uses a red dual-bladed lightsaber, with a sniper rifle as a secondary weapon."

There was a pause for a while. Master Tarkona was the one to break it when she said, "Why is he using two distinct weapons?"

"It'd make much more sense if that blaster was another lightsaber or something," Anakin mumbled. He continued, "Okay, Snips. We'll get down to your position with the Twilight along with some troops and take a closer look at this Sith. Stay out of trouble, okay?"

I grinned, "Yes, Master." _Finally, our ordeal should be over soon._

Then, the line was cut off. Dan, who was standing behind me, sighed and collapsed at the pilot's chair. I moved over to him in concern. He wasn't unconscious, but he is in a bad condition. The bleeding continued on, and was dripping from his tunic. And from the way he's wheezing, I figured that he had trouble breathing. I asked, "Dan, are you alright?"

His face was a few shades too pale and nearly cold. Without warning, he stared in surprise at whatever's behind me and whispered, rather softly, "Ahsoka, behind you!"

I turned around to see that Sith standing just a few feet away. He was aiming at us with his blaster. I took out my lightsabers and ignited them, ready to block any shot that came my way. Beside me, Dan was also standing, despite his injuries, with his lightsaber ignited as well.

The masked man was only using his right arm, because earlier, I've stabbed his left shoulder and rendered it useless. Blood was flowing down from it in a rather small but steady stream. He laughed menacingly, "Stupid Jedi Padawans. You'd never beat me just by hitting my head. I have something that provides protection."

I growled in anger, "Yes. It was your mask. Or should I say, helmet? What's your plan by attacking us, Sith?"

The masked man laughed again and glared at us, "You think you're so important because I attacked you. You assumed that you were the target."

I huffed, "Are we not?"

The man shook his head, "No. You're merely the bait."

I could feel Dan tensed beside me. He gritted his teeth in frustration, "Of course! Our masters were the target! We're the bait that will lure them into the trap!"

"You're quite perceptive for a Jedi Padawan, boy. Maybe you got in the wrong order." The man smirked. I don't like the way he's taunting Dan, almost tempting him to join the Dark Side. But from the short time I've known him; I was assured that he wouldn't give in.

Dan hissed, "No, I didn't." For the first time ever, I felt his feelings. It was of anger and hatred; the feelings that could lead you to the dark side. I was scared that Dan would seriously act impetuously and did something that he'd regret later.

Dan lifted his hand and shot Force lightning at the Sith Lord. The enemy didn't have time to defend himself, and was directly hit. I heard him screamed in surprise. But before the attack was enough to make the Sith Lord black out, Dan was drained of all his energies. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest and groaned in pain. I could feel his anguish, but this time, I chose to ignore it. The enemy was back on his feet, now angrier than ever. He grinned menacingly, and then, the next thing I know, he hit me with Force lightning. I was out in seconds.

SITH LORD P.O.V.

I stared at the two unconscious Padawans. The anger I released in the lightning was enough to knock her out. Luckily enough, the other one was already too delirious to put up a fight. I motioned towards the boy. He just lay there, whispering to me, "Who are you?"

I smirked at his foolishness. But after all, he did lose a lot of blood. "Isn't that obvious enough, Padawan?"

He lifted his head up. "Would you mind clarifying things up for me? You know, besides the fact that you're a Sith, I know practically nothing," he replied. "Red lightsabers, Sith; those are obvious."

I nodded at his ranting, if it's enough to be called so. His face remained stagnant, not showing anything that could indicate what his mind was thinking. His mind shield was also raised to the max. I was unable to read him at all. So I decided to follow his game, "There's no need for you to know anything else about me."

The boy, quite surprisingly, was very stubborn. He tried standing up and succeeded, saying in a struggled manner, "Point taken. But I'm not going down without a fight."

I lifted him up with the help of the Force. The boy yelped in surprise. _What a foolish boy you are, Padawan._ I choked him, and as I did it, I felt him slowly pulling away into unconsciousness.

Once they were both limp and helpless, I placed them at the back of my ship inside a cage, each for one Padawan. Then, after putting their shock collars, just to be safe, I took off into the place where I was told to go; Mustafar.

The Sith Lord inwardly smiled. _My plan has begun. And soon, the Jedi Order will fall on its knees._


	4. Chapter 4

DAN YATES' P.O.V.

I woke up the second time that day, feeling really tired and in pain. I noticed that I wasn't in Master Tarkona's and my shared quarters, because there were no bunks or the desk which Master used to do her paperwork. I tried to move towards the metal door, but something yanked me back to the wall. I was chained to it in my wrists. Then, I felt something uncomfortable on my throat. I touched its cold metal and realized that it was a shock collar. _I'm in a cell, and escaping from it would be hard with this shock collar. Force knows who caught me._

Suddenly, there was a moan from the other corner on the room. The corner was dark, but I guessed that the person was, "Ahsoka?"

Then, that prisoner sighed, "Yates?"

I would've run to her side to make sure she's alright if I didn't have these chains and shock collar. I asked, "Are you alright?"

She moved, and from the way the chains rattled, she was heading towards me. But it didn't take long before she was stopped by its short length. She gasped in surprise, "What the kriff?"

My head hung low. "I know. We're chained in a cell."

She seemed to try and pull the chain so it would break to pieces. I knew that it would be useless and besides, the chock collars might prevent us from doing so. I shouted, "Ahsoka, don't struggle!" She didn't hear it. If she did, then she chose to ignore it. She continued her skirmish and then, just as I feared, the shock collar was ignited and it gave her an electric shock. Ahsoka screamed as she felt the pain went through her whole body. I shook my head and grimaced, "Ahsoka, are you alright?"

She softly mumbled, "There's nothing like an electric shock to get you up and running." I grinned at her joke, even though I realized how grim it was. Ahsoka continued, "How are YOU feeling?"

Just then, I realized that I haven't even checked the extent of my injuries. I soon did, and knew that sooner or later, that still-bleeding stabbed wound would cause a lot of trouble later on. I quickly noticed two pair of old rags at a corner. _I supposed they intended it to be our blankets for the night._ I got one of it and ripped it apart. _This will have to serve as a bandage until the wound closed. You wouldn't want to die of blood loss._

I understood that I was so weak that I wouldn't be able to pry these chains open, even if I have the tools to do so. My head was too foggy that I didn't realize that I haven't answered Ahsoka's question. Concerned, she muttered, "Yates? Are you alright?"

Before I had the time to answer, the door slammed open, and a tall man with a cloak and a hood pulled over his head walked in. I speculated his identity, but when I sensed the darkness as he came, I had no doubt that he was a Sith Lord. From behind him, the masked man from earlier followed closely, his shoulder bandaged. I saw Ahsoka smirk in triumph at the sight of it. I knew she was the one who caused the wound, and I was glad that she did. Then, the previous SIth Lord opened his hood, and I bit my lips in anger at the sight of him. _Count Dooku…_

The renowned Force-user spoke in a monotonic tone, almost like a droid, "Indeed, I am, Padawan Yates. I noticed that you both are awake."

Ahsoka grunted, "If only we weren't in chains and unarmed, we would've attacked you, Dooku."

Dooku turned to her and replied, "Such determination and insolence. No wonder that you're Skywalker's Padawan, not Kenobi's. You're certainly not becoming the Jedi you're supposed to be, considering your emotional state now."

As much as I hated to admit it, Dooku's right. Ahsoka was way too emotional for a Jedi. She should've controlled it better, so Dooku wouldn't sense it. Now that I've thought of it, how could she let herself to be out of control like that? Ahsoka retorted, "So do you, Dooku. You certainly deviated from your course to be a Jedi. And more over, don't think that your chatter would lure me to your side. I'm not that weak."

 _Huh. She sure is a bit… snippy._ Dooku brushes off imaginary dust from his cloak and muttered, "You're not worth my time, you weak Padawan." _That's got to hurt her feelings a lot._

I could feel that Ahsoka is holding back much anger. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do to stop her if she chose to revolt. I kept silent, keeping watch as the situation proceeds. Then, Dooku turned at me. I glared, trying to make him angry, despite me knowing that it might be of no use. The Sith Lord motioned the masked man to come towards me and said, "Let's start with this one."

I gulped, slightly apprehensive of what might happen to me next. The masked man grabbed and yanked me on my feet forcefully. Ahsoka murmured, "Yates!" Again, I felt her concern coming in waves towards me. _Oh, Force! Does she really form attachments that easily? I thought those were dangerous and, not to mention, breaking the Code._

The door closed and I was practically dragged into another room not far from there. It was a dark room. The second I came in, I felt a freezing breeze of air. _Great! It's cold, just like a refrigerator._ I thought they were going to leave me in the room alone, possibly leaving me without food or water. _Did these guys want to kill me or something?_ As if it couldn't get any worse, the masked man placed me in a containment field. _Force, I hate these things. Hanging in the air without any way to move; I have a bad feeling about this._

After I was put in place properly, Count Dooku walked in and said, "Now, boy, you will tell me the location of the troops sent as your reinforcement."

"How should I know? I'm not the one who asked for it," I retorted. _How did he know that Ahsoka called for help?_

Dooku grinned in amusement. He pointed his arm upwards, and then, a MagnaGuard shows up. _This can't be good at all…_ Then, without another word, the droid pointed the staff at me and sent an electric shock right through me.


	5. Chapter 5

LYN TARKONA'S P.O.V.

I felt it; my Padawan's anguish. It rippled through the Force and came at me without warning. I winced. Anakin, who was just beside me, took notice of my expression and inquired, "What's wrong, Lyn?"

"It's… It's D-Dan, I think. He's…. he's h-hurting. I c-can feel his p-pain through…" I stammered.

"The Force," Anakin continued. "I'm sure they're alright. They're pretty tough, y' know?"

I chuckled nervously. I realized that he was right, but I couldn't stop worrying about my Padawan. And besides, I knew that Anakin was also worried about his own Padawan, so could he blame me? "It's not just that. I felt darkness surrounding him. It's as if there was a Sith Lord beside him right now."

Anakin looked at me seriously and replied, "Maybe there is one. Remember, just before we lost contact with Ahsoka, she mentioned someone who MIGHT be a Sith Lord."

I nodded, not wanting to speak anymore. The gunship we were on descended to the planet's surface slowly but surely. The planet seemed deserted, with nothing moving as far as the eye could see. We were scouring everything for any sign of the Padawans. Then, a clone captain with blue armor shouted, "Over there, sir! I saw smoke rising!"

I tried to remember the clone's name. He was definitely Anakin's captain, but who is his name? Maybe… "Rex, is it?"

The clone saluted, "Sir, yes, sir!"

"We need to get there now. There's no telling how badly they might be injured. And do try to contact them through the comlink."

The clone replied, "Aye-aye, sir!" Then, he began working with his communicator. It wasn't long before I heard static coming from the other end of the line. I looked at the gunship's floor in dismay. The sickening feeling sank in my stomach, softly telling me that I might never see my Padawan again; that I might never see the day when he became a Knight. _No. I wouldn't let it slip away as long as I'm able to do something about it._

Anakin was on another ship, and I could sense that he was as equally worried as I was. I knew that he always tried to look strong on the outside. Ever since we ran into each other at the Temple (literally), he always hid his feelings well. There were times when even he couldn't hold them, and when that happens, he would just turn all grumpy for the rest of the day. We've been friends for as long as we could remember. Hell, I could still remember the day when he first came to my class. I was on top back then, especially in fighting with lightsabers. That day, I've beaten him very easily. He wasn't the great Jedi he is now. But the next day, his skills improved such drastically that I didn't see it coming. It was as if he sparred all day with a Jedi Master or something. Since then, we tied in every single fight that it became boring. We learned together and improved both our skills, and that's how we became friends.

As I closed my eyes, my mind was thrown into yet another flashback; the day I got Dan as my Padawan. Anakin had got his two years before. He always did things earlier than me. He got Knighted earlier (he was slightly older, after all) and got his Padawan earlier. Boy, the way I teased Anakin back then. _He said that he'd never wanted a Padawan, but he finally did get one._ That day, I also said that having a Padawan would be no different than having a Youngling at your side 24/7. That wouldn't help at all in a war situation. But then, my former master, Shaak Ti, burdened me with Dan. I hadn't agreed with her at the first, and I gave Dan the hardest chores that I could offer. But the boy didn't budge or complain. He just kept doing it without any word. After a full month, I finally came to terms with him and Shaak, and he's always at my side ever since. We were always there for each other. He got my back, and I got his. _It wouldn't be nice to lose him now._

Just then, the ship touched down. The slight impact disrupted my thoughts. As the door opened, I saw the spread debris of a ship. Just with one look, I realized that it was theirs. I held back the temptation to just run and scour the whole thing for survivors while calling their names. I know I'm pathetic _._ But I might've become a bit too attached to my own Padawan. _Great, Lyn. You've spent the last few years telling Anakin of his own attachment problems, but now, you've gotten the same 'attachment bug' he has._

The clone captain, Rex, lifted a rather large piece of debris and shouted to Anakin, "General Skywalker!"

Anakin came to him, and as I walked to the pair, I heard him ask, "What is it, Rex?"

He pointed to something on the ground and said, "I think you need to see this, sir."

I looked over Anakin's shoulder and saw a metal rod with blood in it. It has a very sharp edge, nearly as sharp as a spear. I shuddered at the possibility that it could've been easily used to stab someone. Judging from the blood, maybe it has. I knelt down and sensed whose blood it was through the Force. It's… "I know, Lyn. It's Dan's," Anakin put his flesh hand on my shoulder and muttered. I bit my lip in anger as I pointed to other large debris. "Look," I said, "There are lightsaber marks on them. Someone's been fighting here."

Anakin leaned over and examined it closely. "Dan couldn't have fought that Sith Lord. Ahsoka wouldn't let an injured Jedi help her when it was not necessary," He mumbled.

Knowing how stubborn my student was, I retorted, "What if it was necessary? It's Dan's nature to help others, even when he's not in the condition to do so."

Anakin chuckled, "He's a stubborn little bastard, isn't he?" I caught his joke, and laughed slightly. However, the seriousness of the situation quickly descended upon us. If they fought, where are they now?


	6. Chapter 6

DAN YATES P.O.V.

The electro-shocking continued on. I gritted my teeth, slightly unable to stand the pain. The masked man's attacks gradually became less painful as the seconds ticked on, but they became more frequent. _Small amounts, but frequent. I can't tell the effectiveness of their torturing method. Maybe it's not so impressive, since I haven't told them anything, regardless of-_

Then, another wave of shock came throbbing through my open wound. This time, the pain was unbearable, and I hollered. The masked man chuckled. Count Dooku, as stagnant as ever, came in front of me and said, "If you want the pain to stop, you should tell us all we want to know, boy."

I spat out blood onto his face, angered by his dark presence, and mocked, "And betray my friends like you betrayed yours, Dooku?"

That did it. My last statement, apparently, struck one of Dooku's nerves. He harshly took the electrostaff from the masked man's hand and set it to its full power. I glared at him as he stabbed the pointy end of it into the open wound on my side. I screamed. Then, darkness came over.

AHSOKA TANO'S P.O.V.

From my dark cell, I could hear Dan's screams. They were terrifying, as if Dooku was torturing him. _Maybe he was._ I thought indignantly of the crimes Dooku committed. The Jedi he's tortured and murder, the planets he conquered and enslaved; all of them with the help of the Separatists and their droid army. _Violence; that's what they're made of._

Her thoughts were disrupted the moment the metal door violently snapped open with a BANG as it hit the wall. The masked man was standing on the doorway. I snarled in defiance at him. Then, I noticed that he was carrying something above his shoulder. It appears to be covered in brown cloth. Was it… Yates?

The masked man tossed the limp Jedi onto the floor with a THUD! He sneered, "Night-night, Padawans."

The moment the door closed shut, I hurried over to Yates and shook him, attempting to wake him up. He didn't stir. There wasn't any response. If he wasn't breathing, I would've sworn that he was dead. I looked over to his badly gashed wound. It seemed to only get worse. From the seriousness of the damage, I knew that he'd been electrocuted. _Dooku, I'll get you later for this._

I dragged Yates into a corner and made his back lean at the stone wall. After making sure that he was in a rather comfortable position, I sat on another darker corner and tried to sleep.

 ** _Time Lapse._**

I began to wake up from my sleep. My head felt groggy. _Uh, how long did I sleep?_ I glanced over at Yates. He's still sitting on the corner, but from his significantly stronger Force signature, I could instantly tell that he was conscious. I spoke up, "Yates?"

He turned his head at me. _Oh, Force, he's as pale as snow!_ His lips slightly curved into a smile, but it faded as quickly as it appeared. Then, he replied, "A-ahsoka?"

I came over to his side and placed one hand on his shoulder. Carefully, I tried to send some soothing feelings at him through the Force, just to lessen the pain. It might've worked, since he smiled and whispered, "Thanks. It's not necessary, but-"

I whispered, "Shh… Save your strength."

Yates grabbed my hand and whispered back, "No! We need to contact our masters somehow! The longer we stay here, the worse it gets. Dooku wants some information. I don't think we'll hold if we are cooped up in here."

I was, obviously, offended by his remark. Did he think I won't hold anything Dooku might throw at me? "HEY! I'm not exactly weak, you know? I won't break, no matter how he tortures me," I retorted in a half-shout. I know, maybe I shouldn't, because a possible guard might hear my shout. But Yates' arrogance was too aggravating.

My companion put his hand over my mouth, automatically silencing me. "Don't be so loud, will you? Sheesh, I don't know what's into you. Don't you think I didn't see how you got angry when Dooku provoked you? You won't hold," he hissed, "and neither will I."

He released me, suddenly seeming drained. Worried, I sent more encouraging feelings through the Force, but I could feel that his Force signature weakened a bit. I gulped, trying to tell him not to die. I whispered, "Come on, Yates. Think of something. There's got to be a way out of here."

He whispered back, "Okay. We can contact our masters through the Force."

I raised my hands in defeat, arguing, "Force knows how far we're apart! There's a limit, Yates!"

He stared at me with determination, "Not if we're together."

Understanding his point, I sat in a meditative position, and so did Yates. We felt the Force surrounding us, flowing through us. We felt the signatures of a lot of people. The dark presence of Dooku and the masked man was also present. I shuddered, and continued on finding our masters. Somehow, I could feel Yates reaching out a bit to the masked man. I knew that he was trying to find out things about him. I realized that our time is limited, and we need to find our masters, so I warned him through the Force not to waste time on the Sith. Yates complied, so our search was resumed.

Finally, after a long pause, I managed to find them. They were at our crash site, probably searching for our dead bodies. I unconsciously let a tear drop from my eyes. And more foolishly, I let Yates knew of my plight. He turned to me and whispered, "It's alright to feel afraid. It's just natural in this situation."

I answered, "We're Jedi, Yates. We're not supposed to have feelings."

Yates shook his head and replied, "Now that's poodoo."

I sighed, "Well, you yourself are practically emotionless. Why, though?"

Yates stared at me angrily and retorted, "That's my reasons, not yours. Now if we want to get out of here, we'd better tell them now!"

I shrugged and inwardly cursed. Then, I entered my shared bond with my master and practically shouted, " _Master!_ "

My master seemed to notice, because I could feel him zoning out of everything that happened around him and shouted through our bond, " _Ahsoka, is that you?_ "

I nodded. " _Yes, master._ "

His voice was a bit panicked when he asked, " _Where are you, Snips?_ "

 _"_ _I don't really know, master. But I thought maybe we're in some kind of a ship,"_ I answered doubtfully. He whispered, " _Are you hurt?_ "

This time, I shook my head. " _No. But Dooku has been torturing Dan for information. I might be next._ "

I could feel Anakin's anger despite the distance between us. He growled, " _We'll get there as soon as possible, Snips. Be careful._ "

" _Try not to be late, Skyguy. I don't think Dan can hold on long enough,"_ I grinned.

The last thing I heard from my master was, " _May the Force be with you._ " Then, the door slammed open without warning and someone yanked me off my feet, disrupting my concentration, and hence, exterminating the Force bond. My eyes snapped open to see the black mask.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for not updating this story in a long time, guys. Things are not going smooth lately, but hopefully, it will now. Enjoy :D**

ANAKIN SKYWALKER'S P.O.V.

Without warning, our conversation was terminated. I clenched my fists, frustrated at how she was being taken away from me. I was her master. I was supposed to make sure that she's alright, not being a prisoner of war and tortured for information. _Huh, some master you are, Skywalker._

I stared at Lyn. She was standing a distance away, but from her stagnant form, I could guess that she was having the same Force-bond-chatting with her own Padawan. I didn't want to intrude their talk, so I walked to Rex and said, "Rex, did you find anything else?"

"Sir, we've found an open med kit with some bandages missing. But all the bacta patches were still there," he answered.

I crossed my arms, not entirely happy with the situation. _That means whoever was wounded didn't get a chance to clean it. That meant risks of infection. We've got to hurry._

I turned to Lyn. Apparently, she's broke her chatting. I sensed that she was feeling at ease but slightly worried at the same time. Dan must've told her that they met a Sith. I walked to her. She noticed me and whispered, "Anakin, I've just spoke with Dan."

I bit my lips. "I know, Lyn."

She looked at me, terrified, "Dooku is with them."

 _Well, that's new. Ahsoka didn't tell me that. How could she have missed that fact?_ I gaped, "What?"

"The Sith that Ahsoka and Dan said was not alone. He had Dooku with them," she repeated. I scanned the horizon. On the west there was a tiny speck of building. It was the bounty hunter base. I was reminded of our real mission; to destroy the base. But now, it has turned to a rescue mission. I shook my head. It wasn't, and wouldn't be easy to do. We've got to do our mission, even when one of our one was in danger. I looked back at Lyn, and said, "Lyn, as much as I hated to say this, the mission comes first. We've got to complete it."

Lyn stared dumbfounded at me. She scowled, "And leave our Padawans in the hands of the enemy?" She snorted, apparently disgusted by my suggestion. I couldn't blame her, so I calmed myself as much as I could and replied, "Lyn, we can't just ignore the mission. Orders are orders. Besides, what would the Council say?"

Lyn looked back, shooting daggers at me and retorted, "You know as well as I do that the Council is liable to make stupid decisions!" I placed my mechanical hand on her shoulder, and, in an effort to comfort her, said, "Lyn, what do you say if we blast the base to hell and go AWOL for a while to find our Padawans?"

She looked up at me. She smiled faintly, liking my idea. But she asked, "What if they are in the base?"

I shook my head, "No. Ahsoka said that it's more probable that they're on a ship."

She wasn't quite satisfied with that answer, I guess. "And you believed her?"

I nodded, "I trust her with my life. Now, come on, let's get to our starfighters and wreck that place."

She went ahead to the gunship and I walked to Rex, shouting, "Rex! Get back to the Resolute, now!"

Rex saluted, "Sir, yes, sir!" He turned to his brothers, "Everyone, get back to the ship!" I hadn't meant Rex to give away that order as stern as he did, but he did it, anyways. I walked over to the gunship. Lyn was already there, tapping her foot. She has always been impatient, always seeking action. I chuckled at all the pranks we've made to the other Jedi we trained with. Once, we pranked Obi-wan, and another time, we pranked Master Shaak. Luckily, she wasn't entirely mad at any of us.

I stood in the gunship next to her. She was looking at the scenery below us as it faded away as the ship went higher and higher. I sighed. The rest of the trip continued in silence.

When we arrived back at the Resolute, Lyn spent no time in getting to her own starfighter. After strapped in, I was almost expecting her to take off at that exact moment, knowing that she is much more impatient than I am. But she didn't. I climbed into my own starfighter, all the while asking permission to takeoff from Admiral Yularen as well as explaining the changes of plan to him. Well…. I think it's safe to say that the Admiral wasn't very pleased, but nevertheless, we were still allowed to continue.

We flew so low, that our ships' belly nearly scraped off the ground. We had to do it. Otherwise, the enemy might detect us earlier than we anticipated. I glanced at Lyn. She was as ready as she'd ever be. I reached out to the Force, trying to confirm that Ahsoka wasn't in the base. After a few moments, I had finally known for sure that she wasn't. I sighed in relief. _At least, we'd still get the mission done without getting our Padawans killed._

Luckily, the bounty hunters didn't seem to notice that we were there. Some of the hunters patrolling outside saw us, though, but there's nothing they could do about us being ready to bomb them to oblivion. They screamed and ran around in panic. From above, they seemed like ants scrambling for a high ground just before a flood. I was half-sorry to see them like that, but orders are orders. I had to do what I had to do.

I pressed the button and bombs were sent freefalling to the base. Lyn followed my example just seconds later. The seconds ticked by as the bombs inched closer and closer to their target. Then, impact.

The massive explosion shook the ground like an earthquake. The once slightly dark area turned as bright as the sun with a mushroom cloud. I realized that it must've been a mini atomic bomb or something, judging from that distinctive cloud. The once fleeing bounty hunters disintegrated into thin air, and the base turned from a fortress to a mass of rubble. I winced. I hated to kill like this. But we had to do it. Otherwise, others might suffer from the bounty hunters. I didn't have any choice, did I?

I looked back at Lyn. Her flying was as steady as ever. Maybe killing them was just a revenge for her, not a killing. Maybe she didn't even consider them living beings. I figured that she had spent too much time with droids. It didn't surprise me, though. She spent lesser time in the warzone than I did, but her mission list nearly reached mine. She liked to do mission after mission, often without a break in between.

Realizing that I've strayed from my course, I repositioned my ship and contacted the Resolute, "Admiral Yularen, General Tarkona and I will be unreachable for a while. We have another place to go to."

The Admiral didn't answer right away. "Okay, then, General. We won't expect your arrival. What are your orders?"

"Return to Coruscant. If you are asked why we're not with you, just tell them that it's my order and this is an emergency. Tell the Temple that I'd contact them shortly."

I could sense that Yularen was troubled by my orders. But he complied with it and I shut off my communicator. I said to Lyn, "Lyn, are you alright?"

"I've never been better, Skyguy," she said in a teasing tone. She was vengeful, that I could tell, and I knew that when she's like this, it's better not to disturb her. Otherwise, you'd get in her way and she'd go ballistic. I smirked at Lyn's usage of Ahsoka's nickname for me. I replied, "Ok, Linny."

"HEY!" She shouted in my communicator, nearly turning me deaf. I chuckled, "Or do you prefer... Tarky?" There was no answer. I took it as an agreement and continued, "Tarky it is, then." I thought that she'd turn mad, but she merely laughed. "It's pretty good for a dumbass, Ani." This time, I was the one who shouted, "HEY!" Come on, she just used the name my mother and wife used to call me! She just crossed that line. But instead of exploding, I just shrugged it off and said, "Come on. Let's try to find that damned Separatist ship."

I signaled R2 to turn on the scanners and he obliged. I quickly searched for nearby ships. Within seconds, I've found one. It happened to be a Separatist's. I was, most certainly, overjoyed to find it. But somehow, I had this bad feeling that all was far too easy…


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Guys, I'm so, so sorry for not updating. I felt really bad about it, but there was nothing I could do. Turns out, is banned in my country. How I managed to get access to it these months, I don't really know. Right now, I can use it. But I don't know how long it would last. So, if this kind of problem repeats itself in the future, please try to go to my profile. I've explained the situation there.  
Anyways, here's Chapter 8. Enjoy!**

AHSOKA TANO'S P.O.V.

The masked man held my arm with iron grip. I groaned in protest and struggled to get free, but he didn't let go. Instead, he chuckled, "Oh, no, you don't." That's it! I've had enough of this lunatic. Without hesitating, I kicked his knee so hard that it was unnaturally bent backwards and shattered the knee cap. You could hear the loud crack from across the room. I'm sure Dan heard it, for he smiled in triumph when it happened.

The masked man howled and laid full length across the floor. His eyes were closed and his face twisted in pain. The knee was bent at an awkward angle. Realizing that I couldn't just let the bastard hurt, even though he's a bad guy, I decided to ease out the pain a bit. I put sleep suggestion on him, so he'd sleep and not feel the pain. It worked. Slowly, the howling turned to a whimper, and it softened again into a moan. Finally, there was nothing. The Sith Lord slept peacefully, as if he was on a very comfortable bed and not on a cell floor with a shattered knee cap. Apparently, being in such pain could certainly lower even a bad guy's defenses.

I turned to Dan. He was lying against the wall. To me, it seemed that he was sleeping. I crawled to him and called him out. "Dan," I whispered. He didn't move at all.

I shook him in the shoulders. He didn't even stir. Then, I looked at his wound. It was bleeding in an alarming rate. His tunic was already badly soaked by blood. The bandages were all soaked. So I changed it with the rags I ripped apart from my blanket. After the makeshift bandage was set in place, I tried to wake him up again. This time, he moaned and opened his eyes. I whispered to him, "Hey, you alright?"

He only nodded weakly and didn't speak at all. "Stay right here," I told him. As quietly as I can, I tiptoed to the door and tried to open it. Surprisingly, it wasn't locked. _Well, well, well. That guy was not only a bastard, but a dumb one, too._

After making sure the coast is clear, I walked back to Dan and helped him up to his feet. He wobbled slightly, but didn't fall. I whispered again, "We've got to get out of here. If Dooku found us, we'll be dead meat."

He didn't answer this time, but he did try to walk. We inched our way out of the cell and into the corridor. It was dark, much darker than the Resolute. We had to probe our way through it. We nearly stumbled into stuff a few times. After a while, we came into a fork. I looked to Dan, and asked, "Left or right?"

He looked at both of them for a few seconds before whispering, "Right." Trusting his judgment, I veered to the right, dragging him along with me. We continued on staggering along the trail, both hoping that this would end soon with the two of us still alive.

We were just coming around a corner when a droid appeared. It was holding a blaster, as all droids do. Realizing the new-found danger almost immediately, we hid behind a rather thick steel pole. We dared to peek at the droid to see where it was going, but what we found was much more than that.

The droid had summoned his friends, and about 30 of them. All of them were lined up and gathered on the narrow corridor, somehow managing to squeeze inside the small space. Right in front leading them was Dooku himself. _Well, it looks like he found out what happened to his apprentice._

I glanced at Dan. He stared into my eyes and nodded at a nearby door. It was marked, "COCKPIT". I smiled at him, "Good thinking," and walked to it. I knew that steering the ship back to Coruscant wasn't an option, because Dooku would be on our necks in no time. But sending a little S.O.S. wouldn't hurt.

I opened the door and encountered at least 7 battle droids in the station. The commander yelped, "Jedi!" _Stupid droids and their jumpy nerves…_ I didn't have my lightsabers, and neither did Dan. So I decided to silence the droids by ripping them apart with the Force.

It worked. The only sound left in the room was the clanking of metal as they fell limp to the floor. As soon as we were left alone, I locked the door so if Dooku and his droids found out our whereabouts, they wouldn't be able to come here easily. After putting the place on top-level security protocol, which makes the person in the cockpit the only one that can open the door, I came over to the communicator. It was in good shape.

Within seconds, I've dialed my Master's starfighter comlink. _Please, Skyguy… Answer it, please?_

ANAKIN SKYWALKER'S P.O.V.

The comlink to my starfighter beeped frantically. I checked the sender and was utterly surprised to find a Separatist trying to contact me. I didn't open my channel before asking Lyn, "Lyn, a Seppie is trying to contact us."

I heard a muffled gasp coming from the starfighter beside me. _Well, she definitely didn't expect that coming._ Then, an answer came, "I don't think talking to that guy would do any harm."

I smirked, "Sure, it wouldn't. The next thing we know, we're face-to-face with a gigantic ship that's firing at us."

Lyn laughed at the joke, replying, "Oh, come on. We're the two best pilots in the Order. There's nothing that we couldn't handle." _Huh, she's always been optimistic._ I sighed, "Talking it is, then."

I opened my channel, and as soon as I saw the image of the person talking to me, all of my misgivings disappeared. "AHSOKA! Boy, am I glad to see you."

The Togruta was obviously distressed, because she didn't smile or laugh like she used to. She said, "Master! We're in the ship's cockpit. I managed to delay the masked man for a while, but Dooku is still free."

My mind worked like a machine going into overdrive. What would you do when your apprentice was in the ship of the most dangerous Force-user in the galaxy? I answered, "Stay put, Ahsoka. Don't try to engage him. We'll be there as soon as possible."

Lyn heard our conversation. She said, "Ahsoka, we'll try to dock with the ship and get onboard."

My Padawan stared goggle-eyed at Lyn, "What? But Master Tarkona, even if you managed to dock and get onboard, there's no point in doing that. Your ships can't take any passengers. Or did you bring reinforcements?"

Dismayed, Lyn shook her head, "No. We're going to help you hold out until the Resolute comes to our position."

I interrupted her, "Lyn, don't you remember? I've sent the Resolute back to Coruscant."

"Then we'll ask them to come here," she shouted angrily. I winced, "Calm down, Lyn. They'll be alright. They're one of the best Padawans, aren't they?"

I saw, through the corner of my eyes, that Ahsoka was smiling. I spoke again, "Ahsoka, we'll dock and get onboard, and we'll secure your escape route by stealing a ship. We'll takeoff and get home together, with you and Dan on the stolen ship."

Through the Force, I sensed Lyn's confidence coming back up. She was beaming, literally, with determination. She replied, "I've never seen a better plan, Ani."

I heard Ahsoka giggle when Lyn used that nickname on me. I ignored the two of them, and instead asked, "Snips, how's Dan?"

Ahsoka's laugh stopped. She hesitated, "He's alive. Don't worry, I won't let him overdo it." Lyn smiled, "Good, don't let him. He has a habit to do it and nearly get himself killed."

Ahsoka laughed again, "That sounded like someone I know," she winked to me. I pouted, faking my annoyance. It was good to hear her again, and I didn't mind being teased by her, at least for now. Ahsoka suddenly turned to another direction, and practically shouted, "Dan, the door!" Just then, our conversation was terminated, AGAIN.

I slammed the dashboard of my starfighter in frustration and punched in the coordinates to the ship. Without even ordering her to do so, I knew that Lyn was doing the exact same thing. _Thank the Force for R2…_ R2 managed to get the coordinates when the conversation was made. Within seconds, we were both in hyperspace, racing to our Padawans and ready to fight anything that stood in our way…


	9. Chapter 9

AHSOKA TANO'S P.O.V.

 _Why do those droids have to interrupt everything?_ We were having a conversation when the door was cut by a red lightsaber. _It wasn't just droids… It was Dooku!_ I shouted, "Dan, the door!"

Dan was half-dozing near the door. When he heard my shout, he jerked his head up and glanced at the door. Quick to take note of what was happening, he looked around for an escape route. I did the same thing, but I just couldn't find it. Everything was locked. The only way out was that door.

"There," Dan shouted, pointing upwards. It was a ventilation shaft. I smiled, "Great idea." I opened the shaft and Force-jumped into it, before helping Dan jump with a little Force-push. Just as I closed back the ventilation shaft, Dooku finished cutting the door wide open.

I waited as the Sith Lord inspected the whole cockpit. None of us dared to breathe for fear of detection. It was only a few seconds; half a minute at most, but it felt like a lifetime. Just when we thought that he'd sensed our presences, a droid came in through the door and said, "Sir, two Jedi Starfighters have flown out of hyperspace just beside our ship. What are your orders?"

I froze. The only person – no, people – I could think of who would pull such a crazy stunt were Anakin and Master Tarkona. _Really, Skyguy? Just beside the enemy ship? You've got to be kidding…_

Hearing the (absurd) news, Dooku walked out of the cockpit, not bothering to check the rest of it. However, he ordered to the droid, "Guard the cockpit so no one can come in or out."

The droid straightened itself immediately and stood just beside the door, replying, "Sir, yes, sir!"

Once the Sith Lord was out of sight and hearing range, I sighed in relief, glad that he didn't discover us. I turned to Dan, who was leaning against the walls and apparently deciding whether we should turn left or right. He whispered, "Which way should we go?"

I looked back and forth between the two paths. I didn't want to end up crawling on top of Dooku… That, beside the fact that it would complicate things, would also be quite unnerving. I nodded to the left, and we crawled in that direction.

The "crawling trip" went on in silence, none of us wanting to tip the enemy of our whereabouts. The ventilation system, of course, was dirty. I mean, who would bother to clean the vent when you have a whole big ship to maintain? Luckily I was wearing my black leggings instead of the white one. Anakin would've been quite mad to see me quite dirty.

It actually happened once. Long story short, I woke up late for a briefing, and while I was running to get to it, I tripped and fell on a puddle of mud. I ended up being late and muddy from head to toe. I could still remember Master Kenobi trying to hide his laugh while Anakin was lecturing me on being late. And after that, it was Master Kenobi's turn to lecture Anakin for being such a hypocrite; apparently, as a Padawan, Anakin had the habit of being late to such meetings.

I didn't realize that Dan was trying to talk to me until he nudged my elbow, pulling me out of my reminiscing. He whispered, "Hey, you okay?"

"W-what? Y-yeah, why shouldn't I?" _Oh, why the hell did I stutter?_

Dan frowned, "I was just asking you where the hell we are now, but you didn't answer."

I looked around, and realized that at that point, we were lost. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, even though when I'm supposed to be the guide! _Smooth, Ahsoka_. I bit my lips, my head thinking so hard that it throbbed painfully. It was a minute or so before I answered, "Can't we see through the grates?"

And that's what Dan did. He didn't do it too well, though.

When he leaned over to peek through the grating, his hand unconsciously leaned on it for support. I guessed he put too much weight on it. No one knew exactly what happened. Maybe the grates happened to be weak and rusty. Anyway, the grates creaked dangerously, and, the next thing we knew, we were falling to the steel ground below.

I remembered hoping that Dooku wasn't in the vicinity. **That** would've been dangerous. Unfortunately, Dooku **was** in the room.

As we hit the floor with a loud crash, Dooku turned to us; I looked up just in time to see his sickly yellow eyes. _Oh, what a fine mess this turned out to be…_

Realizing that we didn't have our lightsabers, I frantically looked around, hoping to find at least one. My eyes landed on three lightsabers; my standard one and the shoto, and Dan's lightsaber. They were hanging from Dooku's belt. _So that's where Grievous learned to collect lightsabers…_ Daring myself, I picked all three of it through the Force, handed Dan's his, and ignited both of my weapons.

Seeing our stance, Dooku snarled, "Still not giving up, Tano? Just like your master…"

I smirked, "I learned from the best, Dooku."

With that said, I charged at him with a slash to his head. He blocked it easily and directed my lightsaber away from him. Just beside me, Dan was also approaching Dooku, trying to stab through the Sith's defenses. With a curse, Dooku blocked the attack. I countered that with an attack of my own.

The battle went on. Inwardly, Dooku knew that he couldn't keep up with both of us. So he had to end this quick. He Force-pushed Dan away to the wall and knocked Dan out. I ignored him, as I knew he'd be alright as long as I kept Dooku distracted, and engaged him in a fierce lightsaber combat.

I was quick to realize that it was a mistake, for Dooku seemed to be stronger and stronger by the second, while I was experiencing the contrary. I quickly became exhausted, and before I knew it, he slashed at my arm.

"Argh!" I screamed. The lightsaber didn't cut too deep, fortunately. Otherwise, it would've cut off my arm. I held the flesh wound, gritting my teeth at the pain it caused. Dooku lifted his lightsaber and was ready to strike the last blow when a blue blade collided with his red one and saved my life.

I turned to Dan, who was still knocked out. He couldn't have saved me in that condition. I looked up, and saw my master towering above me. "Skyguy!" I greeted, unable to keep the surprise and relief out of my voice.

Anakin grinned, "Hey, Snips. Just in time, huh?"

Before I got the chance to answer, Dooku hissed, "Skywalker. It's nice of you to join our little…competition." Glancing to Dan, who was barely standing with the help of Master Tarkona, he continued, "I see you've brought a friend with you."

Anakin growled, "Surrender, Dooku. You're outnumbered."

The Sith Lord chuckled. _I don't like the sound of that…_ He smiles, "You're mistaken, Jedi. It is **you** who is outnumbered." With that, several Magna Guards popped out from their hidings, their electrostaffs in hand and ready for combat. "Very, very badly outnumbered," Dooku added.

 **A/N: ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh  
1K VIEWS?!**

 **That's amazing! Thanks a bunch for those who had gave their time to read this. I love you guys so much!  
And so... I've decided to add a little bonus. Just for fun.**

* * *

 **Lyn: Uhh... Hi. So... Jeanne has this great (read: insane) idea of making a Truth-or-Dare story. It's all about Star Wars.**

 **Anakin: Yup. The rule's simple. Jeanne will create the story, and you guys (all the readers here, including you) can send a dare to any character in the Star Wars Universe. Just PM her, and she'll answer (hopefully).**

 **Me: I heard that, Anakin!**

 **Anakin: *flinches* Whoops.**

 **Ahsoka: *whispers* And to anyone who's willing to dare Anakin to wear a tutu while swimming in the fountain in front of the Senate building, I will greatly appreciate your help.**

 **Dan: Ouch. That's harsh.**

 **Anakin: What's harsh?**

 **Dan: Ahsoka's idea. It's about-**

 **Anakin: Never mind. I don't wanna know about it. Everything's fine as long as it doesn't involve me.**

 **Dan: -_- Er... Okay, then. Bye, everyone!**


	10. Chapter 10

THIRD PERSON P.O.V.

In the hangar of Dooku's ship, an intense battle was about to take place. Amidst the handful of crates and vulture droids was a crowd of people…and droids. The four Jedi stood there, all in a stance with their lightsabers ignited. The Magna Guards surrounded them, electrostaffs ready and eager to fight. Dooku Force-jumped to a nearby crate and cackled, "As I've said, Jedi; surrender. You're outnumbered five to one."

Anakin remained motionless. He would've hated to admit it, but Dooku's right. They were badly outnumbered against a group of Magna Guards. They were the best droids in the Separatist Army, with their lightsaber-resistant staffs and agility. And with Dan and Ahsoka injured and Lyn occupied, Anakin needed to fight his best. Even at that, he could only deal with five for a short time before he was overwhelmed. He knew he couldn't fight tough. If he did, he'd lose. What he needed was fighting smart. He growled, "Let's see if it's true."

Without another word, the Magna Guards attacked. They lunged forward and slashed their staffs at the Jedi, all at once. Anakin connected to his companions' minds in lightning speed and mentally shouted, " _JUMP!_ "

Despite not knowing what he really meant, the entire group jumped at the same time and landed on the crates behind them. The Magna Guards didn't expect that move – or those moves, in this case – and slashed at each other. Their staffs came into contact with their friends' armor. The electric current coursed through the metal and short-circuited the Magna Guards. All twenty of them froze and began to jerk violently before falling to their knees.

Anakin jumped down from the crates and stood above the abundance of scrap metal. He smirked in triumph, "Us, outnumbered? Ha. Ha."

Dooku roared and sent a barrage of Force lightning at Anakin. Anakin, being the skilled Jedi he was, deflected it easily. And he wasn't alone, too. Not letting his master fight the Sith alone, Ahsoka Force-jumped beside Anakin. Her lightsabers were ignited and she approached Dooku, ready to fight.

Dooku noticed the new-found danger and Force-pushed several crates at the two Jedi. They were forced to break off their attack and evade. Dooku used this to escape and in no time, he was off in an escaping pod.

Lyn jumped down beside Anakin, still dragging Dan with her, and cursed, "Poodoo! The wicked witch got away!"

Despite the grim failure, Anakin couldn't resist chuckling, "Come on, Tarky. Let's get these kids back to the ship before Bigfoot gets them."

Ahsoka pretended to be offended and groaned, "Hey! We're big enough to take care of ourselves, thank you!"

Lyn grinned, "You might, but Dan certainly isn't."

Dan folded his arms and harrumphed, "I'll do pretty well all by myself, you know."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, "Yeah. The worst thing that can happen is you getting yourself killed."

Anakin pushed Ahsoka and Lyn to the hangar and grunted, "Now, now, there. We don't want to get late to the welcome home party, do we?"

Before any of them had time to answer, an explosion occurred and whole ship shook with the resulting vibrations. Ahsoka and Lyn almost fell to the floor, but Anakin and Dan did. Chuckling, Ahsoka helped Anakin up, "What's up, Skyguy? Is the floor soft enough for a bed?"

Anakin stood up and continued walking to their ship, grunting, "Very funny, Snips."

Lyn entered a ship with Dan and announced, "I'll take this one with Dan."

It was a ship big enough for two people. Ahsoka frowned. She could clearly remember that the plan was for Anakin and Lyn to escape in their starfighters while Ahsoka and Dan would steal a ship for themselves. Ahsoka tried to speak it out, "But I thought-"

"I know the plan, Ahsoka," Lyn countered and continued, "but I couldn't risk Dan crashing another ship. He's such a bad crash-lander."

Ahsoka could feel Dan's annoyance rippling through the Force. She ignored it. She didn't mind the new set up at all. She'd have loved to fly in a starfighter again, even if it was not her own. She grinned, "Can't say I don't agree, Master."

She went on and jumped into the starfighter, with Anakin already taking off in his own. Dan and Lyn were closely behind her in their own ship. Ahsoka glanced at it. It was big, but it was a bucket of bolts. It brought back memories; memories of hers and Anakin's first mission together…

They were assigned to rescue Jabba the Hutt's son. Ahsoka didn't mind. She was ecstatic, that being her first mission and all. Her new master didn't seem too excited about it, but as long as the mission succeeded, Ahsoka wouldn't mind a bit. It was the same mission where they acquired the Twilight. Just like the one Lyn and Dan found today, it was a bucket of bolts. But with some repairs and fine-tunings by Anakin, the ship was not a disappointment.

Another explosion shook Ahsoka right out of her trip down memory lane. The hangar was burning now. The ceiling collapsed gradually, and debris began to cascade down in grains of steel dust and several chunks of metal. Some of them collided with Ahsoka's hovering ship. She looked around, noticing Lyn and Dan already gone. She felt a bit of a headache as an endless rant came through her radio. It was her master. "Get out of there, Snips!" he said, perhaps for the ninth or tenth time.

Ahsoka winced and quickly flew out of the exit, narrowly escaping the next explosion that entirely took out the hangar. As she took her place behind Lyn's and Dan's ship, Anakin fell to pace beside her and bellowed, "What's the matter with you? You've almost gotten yourself killed!"

Ahsoka giggled, "Huh, maybe I almost did. Thank the Force I have a paranoid grandpa watching over me."

Through the radio, Ahsoka could hear Lyn and Dan bursting out with laughter. Fortunately, the same could not be said for Anakin. It took him a few seconds to realize what she'd meant. But when he did, he roared, "SNIPS!"

Ahsoka moved her starfighter away from Anakin's. The Jedi Knight followed her movement, and Ahsoka pulled further away. It went on over and over and over again. Eventually, Ahsoka got tired and suddenly throttled out of Anakin's sight. He muttered a suppressed exclamation of surprise before chasing her. The inching away turned into an all-out game of flight-tag in seconds.

The two starfighter took turns chasing their friend. Anakin chased Ahsoka, and then vice versa. It went on and on and on all the way to Coruscant, both of them too excited in their own world to notice anything else. And as the fight continues, Lyn and Dan enjoyed the free entertainment, both relieved for another well-ending mission; and for all of them getting back alive and in one piece…


	11. ANNOUNCEMENT (I'm so so sorry)

Hi, everyone!

I know y'all are looking forward to an update, but sadly, this isn't one. This is just a small announcement.

I will no longer update the stories on this site. Not because I decided to drop those stories. No, not at all. I just can't access this site anymore. It's kind of banned in my country. In fact, the only reason I can post this announcement is because I am using my phone's cellular data. I don't have a lot, just enough to post this. (These things are pretty expensive! Especially since I'm a jobless student...)

I still write the stories. I am currently in the process of posting them to my accounts (both under the name Jeanne152) on wattpad and ao3. If you want to, you're welcome to check them out.

I'm so so sorry for the inconvenience. I wish I can change things, but my hands are tied.

May the Force be with you all :)

Jeanne.

P S. : I'm also rewriting "When Two Worlds Collide". I admit I wasn't really thinking about the plot when I wrote, so if things fept weird, it's all on me. I've never asked a beta reader for help, so I'm kinda just making it up as I get along.

Also, let's go PENGUINS!


End file.
